AN apparently insatiable demand for horses fuelled an excellent renewal of part two of the Doncaster Spring Sale, this catalogue devoted to horses in training and point-to-pointers.
The importance of the Irish point-to-point sector was shown to huge effect when you trawl through the list of 16 horses sold for figures of between £75,000 and £195,000.
Ten of these were from Irish point-to-point handlers, and many were even non-winners, but rather horses that had shown the potential to do so. A handful of these will return to Ireland to continue their racing careers, but most were sold to British buyers.
There is also a pressing need for the return of buyers physically at the Irish sales, and while all of these horses were sold with their form in the book, the ability to see them on site, and have potential owners attend with their agents and trainers, undoubtedly helps to drive values upwards.
This year’s sale was never going to be able to match the outstanding returns at the 2019 renewal, when a larger catalogue was offered and a top price of £620,000 for Interconnected was achieved. That sale also featured a major dispersal. Nonetheless, there were still advances in both the average and median figures, both new records, while a splendid clearance rate of 93% was achieved over the two days.
Kent’s delight
A much relieved and hugely delighted Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent reflected on the great returns. He said: “It has been a remarkable four days of sales in the Doncaster ring. The incredible demand that we witnessed for the National Hunt stores has continued with the horses in training, while the superb two-day clearance rate of 93% is a graphic illustration of the demand for horses at all levels of the market.
“We were certainly hopeful of a healthy Spring Sale, especially following the significant issues faced last year and, like many others, we have been blown away by the level of demand for horses.
“It’s another very positive sign for the bloodstock industry following the record-breaking results achieved in the same sales ring just four weeks ago at the breeze up sale. This is something that we can all enjoy and bodes extremely well for all future sales.
“As ever, a huge thank you must be extended to everyone who has taken part in this sale throughout the four days.
“The electric atmosphere around the sales complex has been something else for us all to celebrate, and makes us believe that we are all some way closer to getting back to ‘normal’.”
Let’s hear it for the girls as mares appeal
THE top two lots in the horses in training and point-to-point section of this week’s Goffs UK Spring Sale were females, and the impressive four-year-old pointer Happy D’Ex was easily the best when selling for £195,000.
One of seven lots from the stables of Denis Murphy, she contributed the lion’s share of the total of £478,000 which that draft made. This grey French-bred daughter of Saddler Maker has just two minor pieces of blacktype on the page under her first three dams, but such was the impression she made when winning a three-runner mares’ maiden at Dromahane by 15 lengths that many wanted her.
That said, she also possessed the conformation of a potential star, having cost Murphy and Rob James €57,000 last year at the Goffs Land Rover Sale. Related to the Gordon Elliott-trained Goffs Land Rover Bumper winner Festival D’Ex, she will now join the Co Meath trainer after her sale to him and agent Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan. Happy D’Ex will carry the colours of KTDA Racing.
Another from the draft sent to the sales from Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables to sell well was Loughderg Rocco, a 12-length winner at Fairyhouse a fortnight after he was runner-up on his debut. The son of Shirocco realised £75,000.
Phil Rowley’s Poplar House Stables sold four lots, including a supplementary entry, on Wednesday and two of these made it into the top 16 prices. The five-year-old Yeats mare The Player Queen went under the hammer having made two starts, both times a winner. She landed a maiden point-to-point last October and then reappeared at Cheltenham last month to win a bumper. She sold to agent Gerry Hogan and trainer Rose Dobbin for £140,000.
This was a case of patience and belief paying dividends. The Rowleys bought The Play Queen as a store at this sale two years ago for £12,000. They offered her for sale after she won on her debut, but could not get the £50,000 valuation they placed on her. Now they reaped a deserved reward after sticking to their guns.
A recent bumper win, on his debut, at Ludlow for the Soldier Of Fortune four-year-old Pulling Stumps, trained by Phil Rowley’s wife Mel, saw him sell to Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley for Philip Hobbs at £75,000.
Brothers-in-law are brothers in arms
WARREN Ewing is no stranger to success, whether in the point-to-point fields or in the sale ring. He had a good week as two of the four lots he sold realised six-figure sums, a feat achieved by seven lots in all over the two days of this particular catalogue.
Beaten a head by Anyharminasking (sold recently for €145,000) at Tipperary on his only start, the Blue Bresil four-year-old gelding Constitution Hill was purchased as a foal by Ewing and his brother-in-law Barry Geraghty for €16,500. A son of the useful King’s Theatre mare Queen Of The Stage, Constitution Hill will now join Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows following his sale for £120,000.
A little earlier Ewing and Geraghty were celebrating another successful pinhook when the Saddler Maker five-year-old Git Maker, a winner last week at Necarne by 10 lengths on his fourth start, sold to Jamie Snowden and Tom Malone for £105,000. Bought at the Goffs Land Rover Sale for €33,000 two years ago, the gelding was placed on his previous starts.
Handsome profit
An €8,500 investment by Benny Walsh in a son of Carlotomix last year turned into a handsome £80,000 this week when the four-year-old Carlo Du Berlais sold to Highflyer Bloodstock, and he has yet to win a race. A faller on his debut at Scarteen, he was a three-length runner-up on his second start at Tipperary last month.
Also selling for £80,000, and heading to join Paul Nolan, was Michael Goff’s Mahler four-year-old Daily Present. A half-brother to Go Millie Go and from a strong female line, this Tipperary winner on his only outing was knocked down to Gerry Hogan, having failed to sell online at the recent Goffs Punchestown Sale
Doyle draft demands attention
Donnchadh, Cormac and Sean Doyle sold four lots that realised £90,000 or more. Donnchadh scored twice at that level, receiving £115,000 from Tom Malone and Jamie Snowden for Super Survivor, having earlier netted £90,000 for Phantom Getaway who sold to Aiden Murphy and Kim Bailey.
Super Survivor, a five-year-old son of Shantou was beaten on his sole start, going down by a head in a maiden at Dromahane earlier this month.
The Getaway four-year-old Phantom Getaway is a winner, successful on his second start at Lisronagh.
Eddie O’Leary was successful with his £100,000 bid for Cormac Doyle’s Curtain Tim, though the buyer record lists Mags O’Toole and Gordon Elliott. This supplementary entry won a four-runner maiden at Necarne last weekend.
though the records show that he was sold to Mags O’Toole and Gordon Elliott. This supplementary entry won last weekend in a four-runner maiden at Necarne and the son of Curtain Time is from the family of Tullymurry Toff.
Gerry Hogan and Rose Dobbin spent £317,000 on four lots over the two days, and another significant purchase was Sean Doyle’s Rae Des Champs. A winner by 10 lengths on her only start at Lisronagh, this four-year-old daughter of Robin Des Champs is related to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Back In Front.
Channon’s draft catches the eye
THURSDAY’S final day of trade was topped by Mick Channon’s Grade 2-placed chaser Hold The Note, who sold to Brian Jordan for £130,000.
A bumper and hurdle winner at four, the now seven-year-old son of Jeremy was fourth at Cheltenham this year in the Kim Muir. Raced by owner Tim Radford, Hold The Note will now join Alistair Whillans, and the trainer hopes the new purchase might become a Scottish National contender.
Another lot to feature prominently at the second session was Godolphin’s French Group 3 winner Moonlight Spirit. Successful four times at two and three, the five-year-old gelded son of Dubawi sold to trainer James Moffatt for £75,000. The gelding could make a start at Royal Ascot, though his future is set to be over hurdles.
On Wednesday there were two further sales of horses with form among the top 16 lots. The Kayf Tara five-year-old gelding Landacre Bridge was second on his bumper debut at Ffos Las, prompting his late entry for the sale. He sold from Ben Pauling Racing to Hogarth Racing for £80,000.